Dogs Paws Scraped to the Bone Puts Spotlight on Animal Abuse

Slater is a pitbull mix that was turned in to the Lowndes County Animal Shelter as a stray last month. He didn't always look as healthy as he does now. When he was turned in his paws had been scrapped to the bone. The vet that treated him said he was dragged.

Veterinarian Kyle Harrell said "I think it had to have been by a vehicle or something. You know those wounds, what he had it doesn't look like somebody could have done that with their hands."

Slater was treated and released to his foster parent, Wanda Mitchell. She also fosters bait dogs like this guy named Rock.

Harrell went on to say "a bait dogs is a dog that dog fighters use to train their dogs to kill."

Ashley Barnes is a Veterinarian Assistant. She said "there either declawed or their teeth are pulled out. They just have no mechanisms to fight. They're not well taken care of."

Harrell said "we have seen one here recently. But the majority of them you're not going to see coming to a veterinarian clinic cause you know if the fighting dog does its job, you know, that dog is probably going to be dead."

Both Rock and Slater are recovering well. If anyone knows of dog fighting rings or cases of neglect call your local animal shelter or humane society and report it.

Dog foster Wanda Mitchell said "I think what people do to dogs should be done to them. That's my personal opinion."

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